Judas Priest - Nostradamus - June 17 (1 Viewer)

[Greg_S_H]

Judas Priest has a new Nostradamus concept album coming out, and it's going to be a big one. The regular release is a double CD, while the deluxe is the same packaged inside a hardbound book. I assume this will be similar to what they did with Angel of Retribution. Finally, there is a super deluxe addition that will include the double CD inside an expanded book along with the album on triple vinyl!

You can hear the title track here:

Judas Priest Concert Tickets, Schedule, Tour Dates

I just read about this, so I haven't heard it yet. One other bit of news: Priest is going to play on the same stage as Kiss at something called the Download Festival. That's a show I wish I could see.

Here's the albums press release:

JudasPriest.com :: Nostradamus

 

[Don Giro]

The Download festival used to be called Castle Donington: Monsters of Rock. It's the biggest, most prestigious (debatable over recent years) hard rock/heavy metal festival in Europe. Priest played the very first one in 1980, along with Rainbow, Scorpions, April Wine, Saxon, Riot, and Touch (DAMN, I'm getting old). And you probably knew that anyway, since I just read the press release, and that info is there. But let's hear it for my memory of what other bands played that day! (No, I wasn't there...)

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to this, although I'm a little leery of the whole "concept album" idea from Priest (one of my favorite bands of all time, BTW). I just hope it's better produced than AOF.

Edit: I just d/led the title track. Good stuff, but I can't picture Halford belting those lyrics out from underneath the 200 lbs. of leather and chains he's been wearing in recent years...

 

[Jason Kirkpatri]

I'm pumped too. Saw Priest on their 2005 tour and Halford was able to put out some good vocals then. I think he could pull it off. I'll be seeing them again on their 2008 tour.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Excellent!

As I stated in the American Idol thread: Best. Live. Band. EVAR. Too bad they don't have any dates scheduled around here.

 

[Jason Kirkpatri]

Just got my tickets. I'll have to dig out my Angel of Retribution tour shirt.

 

[allprolab]

I broke out some Priest last night. First time in awhile. Damn good stuff.

 

[Greg_S_H]

JP is coming to my town, so I'm going to try to go.

I was listening to some AOR. I'm so glad this got made, or else we wouldn't have had Worth Fighting For. To me, it's a sequel to Desert Plains, and a good one.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

They just released the entire Screaming for Vengeance album as a download for the Rock Band game.

Do I keep waiting for that patch for the GH3 guitar, or is it time to bite the bullet? . . .

 

[Rhett_Y]

I can't wait for this. Huge priest fan!

 

[Aaron Silverman]

The Ant Commandos put out an adapter that lets you use PS2 Guitar Hero guitars to play Rock Band (and GH3) on the PS3.

Rock Band is on the way to my house. . .

 

[dan-0]

Not many midwest stops. No Minneapolis?

Would be great to see Testament too. Is their new album out yet?

 

[Eric Peterson]

Yep! ...and I love it so far. It's not quite as good as "The Gathering", but it's also much more melodic and has more guitar solos since Skolnick returned. It's very much in the same vein as "The Ritual", but with heavier lyrics.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

By "heavier lyrics," do you mean the words are more meaningful or the vocals are more growly?

 

[Eric Peterson]

They're more growly, although I think you could make a strong argument that they're more meaningful too. There's a song about 911 as well as a song questioning whether there is an afterlife. I don't recall too many Testament songs from the past with much meaning behind the lyrics. I'm sure that Chuck's bout with cancer had something to do with that.

 

[James Lee]

I just got my copy I had preordered forever from Amazon.

It's different. Very different and startlingly excellent. To me it rivals Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime as one of the best metal concept albums ever. First off, fans who are expecting your standard fast headbanging trademark Priest sound are going to be very surprised. This 2 CD set is dark, melodic, with complex arrangements more akin to a progressive metal band like Dream Theater. There is liberal use of keyboards, strings and acoustic guitar.

I'm just blown away by how different and how great this effort is. It's going to be interesting to see how hardcore Priest fans react to this. I don't count myself as one of the hardcore, but I am a huge fan of bands like Dream Theater, Kamelot, Nightwish, Within Temptation-- stuff that is epic, symphonic and complex. Color me incredibly impressed with what Priest did this time.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I love epic, symphonic, and complex as well, but I also consider JP to be the greatest live band of all time.

Sounds like I am going to have to snag this release ASAP!

 

[James_Kiang]

Listening to the new JP cd now. Definitely not Painkiller, but I am still liking what I have heard so far.

Anyone try to get the free concert ticket that they are offering? I am trying to figure out how to get mine. The LiveNation site doesn't seem to have any info about it.